The Book of Revelation
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The Book of Revelation The Mark of the Beast, the Marks of a Christian, and the End of Time: The Book of Revelation for the Church Today An Exegetical and Nouthetic Commentary Christopher A. Perry English translation based on the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Greek translation based on The Greek New Testament (SBLGNT). Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software. 1 © 2019 Christopher A. Perry, The Mark of the Beast, the Marks of a Christian, and the End of Time: The Book of Rev for the Church Today. Christ Church of Central Arkansas, 9732 Maumelle Blvd, North Little Rock, AR 72113 A NOTE TO THE READER Thank you for using this commentary in your work to understand the teachings of the Book of Revelation. I’m grateful for your commitment to know God and know Him through His Word. If you are reading this commentary for the first time, you will notice typos and format problems in the document. Why? Time constraints. As a full-time counselor, I see an average of 25-35 clients per week. My caseload consists of people with mood disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, C- PTSD, addictions, anxiety and depression disorders, marriage problems, and people with suicidality or self-harm behaviors, etc. For me, being a pastor is more about a ministry of healing than it is about networking and special event planning. Serving people as a counselor is a privilege and responsibility that bears the grace and love of Jesus. At times it is exhausting, really exhausting. However, it’s always full of His grace and hope. Jesus has called me to bring healing to hurting and damaged people. Did I mention time constraints? Because my time for research and writing is limited and I don’t have the luxury of an editor, this document will have lots of typos and format problems such as the lack of ibids in the footnotes. I am aware that I am not strictly applying all the criteria for MLA, Turabian, or APA standards. It will be immediately apparent that I use an outline format. I do this because of my linear reasoning tendencies and my need to use this information as a key resource for teaching specific aspects of the truth of God’s Word on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you detect a reference is not cited properly or if you have sources that will enhance the presentation of the historical, linguistic, and theological background of this work, please email me at [email protected] You will notice that this document is profoundly dependent on the discipline and brilliant work of scholars such as David Aune, Gregory Beale, William Mounce, Ben Witherington, and several others. I am not a scholar. I see myself as a reporter of the wisdom and insight of scholars I am deeply indebted to. “6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord! 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” - Psalm 4:6-8 Your understanding and kindness are appreciated. Grace and peace, Christopher A. Perry Christ Church of Central Arkansas 9732 Maumelle Blvd North Little Rock, AR 72113 www.discoverchristchurch.com www.gracecounselingclinic.com 2 © 2019 Christopher A. Perry, The Mark of the Beast, the Marks of a Christian, and the End of Time: The Book of Rev for the Church Today. Christ Church of Central Arkansas, 9732 Maumelle Blvd, North Little Rock, AR 72113 GENERAL INTRODUCTION1 1. Genre: The Origins of apocalyptic and the kind of writing we discover in Revelation. a. Understanding the purpose of genre is critical to interpreting the text of scripture. “This is because genre is defined by the conventions that a writer uses and that a reader needs to follow in order to make sense of a text in the way the writer intended. This may include the nature of the vocabulary and grammar used, sentence structure, even the medium of writing originally employed – think of the difference in presentation between a letter from a lover and a bank manager! The important thing about genre is that different genres require different approaches to interpretation.”2 b. “Revelation is classified as ‘apocalyptic’ literature. The term comes from the Greek word of self-description in Revelation 1:1, “The revelation of Jesus Christ…” (Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ) but interestingly this is the only place within ‘apocalyptic’ literature where the term occurs.”3 c. The “origins of this kind of writing (apocalyptic), lie in the Old Testament prophets. Revelation has been called ‘the climax of prophecy.’”4 d. In the Old Testament, apocalyptic writing in found in: i. Isaiah (Isaiah 1; 2; 6; 11; 13; 65). ii. Daniel (7-9). iii. Ezekiel (1; 37; 40). e. Other Jewish writings consider as apocalyptic: i. 4 Ezra (AKA 2 Esdras 3-14) ii. 2 Baruch. f. Summary on Genre: i. John J. Collins, “‘Apocalypse’ is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an other worldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another, supernatural world.”5 2. Context: The historical context of Revelation and how this affects our reading. 3. Author a. Internal evidence: i. Revelation 1:1, “and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant, John.” ii. Revelation 1:4, “John…” iii. Revelation 1:9, “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation…” iv. Revelation 22:8, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things…” 1 I rely significantly on the work of I. Howard Marshall, Stephen Travis, and Ian Paul, in Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 305-328. 2 Marshall, I. Howard, Stephen Travis, and Ian Paul, in Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 306-07. 3 Marshall, I. Howard, Stephen Travis, and Ian Paul, in Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 306. 4 Marshall, I. Howard, Stephen Travis, and Ian Paul, in Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 306. 5 Collins, John J. “Introduction: Towards the Morpholgy of a Genre” in Semeia 14, 1979, p. 9. 3 © 2019 Christopher A. Perry, The Mark of the Beast, the Marks of a Christian, and the End of Time: The Book of Rev for the Church Today. Christ Church of Central Arkansas, 9732 Maumelle Blvd, North Little Rock, AR 72113 b. External evidence: i. Justin Martyr (b 100 and d 165), writes, “‘The day of the Lord is as a thousand years,' is connected with this subject. And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place.” (Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho, CHAPTER LXXXI). c. Ancient testimony: i. Justin Martyr (b 100 and d 165 AD), “"For Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand years: 'For there shall be the new heaven and the new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, or come into their heart; but they shall find joy and gladness in it, which things I create. For, Behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and My people a joy; and I shall rejoice over Jerusalem, and be glad over My I people. And the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, or the voice of crying. And there shall be no more there a person of immature years, or an old man who shall not fulfil his days. For the young man shall be an hundred years old; but the sinner who dies an hundred years old, he shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and shall themselves inhabit them; and they shall plant vines, and shall themselves eat the produce of them, and drink the wine. They shall not build, and others inhabit; they shall not plant, and others eat. For according to the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people; the works of their toil shall abound. Mine elect shall not toil fruitlessly, or beget children to be cursed; for they shall be a seed righteous and blessed by the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will hear; while they are still speaking, I shall say, What is it? Then shall the wolves and the lambs feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent[shall eat] earth as bread. They shall not hurt or maltreat each other on the holy mountain, I saith the Lord.' Now we have understood that the expression used among these words, 'According to the days of the tree[of life] shall be the days of my people; the works of their toil shall abound' obscurely predicts a thousand years.